


Final Message

by galactiklance



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, CRUSH THEIR SOULS, M/M, Multipe endings, a little fluff, klangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 03:48:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17439377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galactiklance/pseuds/galactiklance
Summary: It’s getting harder for Keith to be a good leader of Voltron as the Galra up their game, and Lance insisting on being heroic all the time doesn’t help.





	1. I Can’t Hear You

**Author's Note:**

> Hai! So, this is my first ever fan fiction thing. I barely know what I’m doing. 
> 
> There are two endings to this, the one I like to refer to as the happy ending/plot twist ending, and the one I call the CRUSH THEIR SOULS ending. They split off at the end of chapter one, which continues into the CRUSH THEIR SOULS ending for the next two chapters. 
> 
> I hope you like this (and weep)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Galra have upped their game, and Keith is struggling to keep up. A particularly difficult battle forces him to split the team up, the repercussions bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop I’m finally getting around to posting this! This is the core of the story, of which the two endings branch from. 
> 
> I’d love feedback at any point, as this is my first fan fic thing and I’m still learning.

“Everyone, sound off!” Keith slouched back in his seat, surveying the asteroid field littered with Galran ship carcasses.

_ “Hunk and I are just coming.”  _ Pidge replied. Keith’d had to split the team up, and it seemed the Green and Yellow lions had ended up in the same place.

“ _ I’ll be with you in a dobosh.” _ Said Allura’s voice from the intercom. That just left Lance. Odd, he was usually the first to reply, and the first to argue about how much better it would be if he were in charge.

“Lance? You there?” Keith was starting to get a little concerned after a minute of silence from him.

“Lance? Lance where are you?” Keith was upright again, leaning forwards as if it would make a difference.

“Lance answer me!”

A burst of static filled his ears, almost making him claw his helmet off and throw it across the cockpit.

_ “Krrtzzrrt -eith. I- fffzzzkrt okay. Yeah, I- I’m not - krrsshffzz” _

“Lance? Lance what’s happening?” This was bad.

_ “Keith are you ok?” _ Allura sounded worried too.

“I am, but Lance might not be. We have to find him. Pidge, can you run a scan of the area?”

_ “On it.” _

Keith tried his helmet’s intercom again.

“Lance? Lance I need you to respond! What’s happened, where are you?”

_ “Zzzffffkkrs -don’t know where- krrcttffz -hit me. Red. Red can’t- krrrffzz” _

“Lance you’re cutting out! I can’t hear you!” Keith was yelling now, hands gripping tight to Black’s controls.

_ “Keith? I can’t pick him up on any of the scans. We can’t even see Red anywhere.” _

No. 

“LANCE! I need you to tell me where you are!”

_ “I don’t- krzzt -know. I can’t- fffzzz -hurts too mu- krct” _

No no no no no. This wasn’t happening. Keith could hear Lance’s breaths in between bursts of static. They were coming hard and fast, not a good sign.

“Pidge? Can you track his com line?” Keith’s mind was scrabbling, trying to think of any solution, anything he could do to get back to Lance.

_ “I mean maybe. But you realise you’re the only one who can hear him? He’s using his helmet, not Red’s line. If he contacted me I might be able to get a rough idea where he is.” _

“Do it.” Keith’s voice was shaking, he would try anything that had even the slightest chance of working.

“Lance? If you can hear me, I need you to contact Pidge, she’ll track the signal, and we can come get you. Please, I- we can’t lose you.” Keith hated not knowing what to do. He hated just hanging in space, listening to Lance’s uneven breathing, unable to do anything. 

He didn’t realise his eyes were watering until tears started to roll down his cheeks with no hint of stopping. He choked back a sob as Pidge radioed in again.

_ “He got through. There was a lot of static though, I could barely hear him. I’m running the tracker now, I should have a result in a few ticks.” _

_ “Fffhhhzzzzzzzzrrrr -to tell you something Keith. I don’t thi- kkrrracczzz -ake it out.”  _ Keith heard Lance cry out in pain, and another sob escaped him.

_ “Keith, I,- rrrkkkssszz -truth is, I like- ffrrrsshkkzzz -Heck, I might even lo- zzztttt -eed you to know that.” _

“Know what? Lance? Please, we’re gonna find you, it’s gonna be alright. Lance!” Keith screamed as he heard Lance do the same. What was happening?

_ “Keith I have a location.” _

“Where?!”

_ “..it’s not the most specific, just an area. He’s on the other side of the field, just out of orbit of Irkwan’s third moon. I think. I could be wrong, I didn’t have time to double check.” _

Keith turned his lion around, facing the rest of Voltron. Well, almost the rest of them. Lance was out there somewhere, dying by the sounds of it. He had to rescue him. He had to.

“We’re going. Pidge, set a course we can follow. Now!” Keith knew he was being unnecessarily harsh, but he didn’t care.

“Lance? We’re coming. We’re coming right now, you’re gonna be ok. You have to be ok.”

_ “I’m not,- ffkkrrzz -onna make it Kei- kkkrrrkkkzzz -urts so much. Please sta- rrrrrzzzzttt -listen to me, please.” _

“I’m here, Lance I’m right here ok? You have to make it. I can’t-, I don’t-. Lance, please.” Keith was sobbing, barely able to see the path Pidge had set out. The other three lions were somewhere behind him. He didn’t care. They could catch up. He needed to get to Lance.

_ “Keith, just listen. Ple- rrrkkkkzzzffffkkkrrkkzzz -the first day I saw you. You never notic- fffrrkkkzzzz -why would you?”  _ Lance coughed, then gasped with the pain, but he pushed on.  _ “I tried s- kkrrkktt -to get close to you, but then, then- rrrkkkzzz -nd I thought I’d never, never see you a- zztttkkrr -then we found bl- blue, and,- rrkkzzzz -so happy t- ffzzz -spend time with you.” _

“Lance? What are you saying? Lance please!”

_ “Wait. Just,- sshhkz -listen. I was so- zzzkkkt -hat you noticed me. I felt like I had,- ffrrkkzz -had a chance. But then you- kkkrrzzz -o be interested, so I stopped try- kkrraakkzzz -ouldn’t listen. I was still falling, but I kne- rrkkzzz” _

The line went silent. 

“LANCE! LANCE PLEASE!” Keith urged black on, he was almost there, just one more minute.

_ “K- Keith?- Frrzzzttt -an’t, can’t make it.” _ Lance coughed again, and it took him too long to recover enough to speak.  _ “Kkksshhzzz -blood. Lots of blood. Keith, I- frrrkkzzzz” _

“Lance! Lance please! I can’t, I can’t let you die! LANCE!” Keith could see the red lion now, but it was in a terrible shape. 

The thrusters were all damaged, the light in its eyes were extinguished. Dents covered the metal, and a gash was torn in one side. The mouth had been wrenched open, presumably so someone could enter.

No. God no. He had to be ok. 

“Lance, answer me! What happened? I’m here now, tell me what happened!”

Keith exited his lion, ignoring all the calls from the other paladins. He had to get to Lance.

_ “Rrrkkkzzzz -eith, I, I think I- fffzz -love you. I love you Keith.” _

The line went silent again. 

No, not silent. The static was still there. But Lance, no. No, god no. Keith couldn’t hear Lance breathing. 

“Lance! Lance! Please! LANCE!!!” Keith was screaming as he reached his old lion. 

“LANCE! LANCE PLEASE! I’m here! I can help! LANCE!” Still nothing.

Keith ran into the bowels of the lion, stepping over the body of a Galran droid. There was another one in the corner. 

God what’d happened?

“LANCE! Keith wrenched the doors of the cockpit open, and almost fell over the body of a Galran wearing a typical general’s uniform. God, please, no.

He could see something blue peeking out the side of the pilot’s chair, Lance’s helmet.

Keith ran over, falling to his knees in front of the chair. 

Lance was slouched, his armour in ruins, helmet cracked. Blood was still dripping to the floor, an already huge puddle growing steadily. Lance’s hands gripped his abdomen, failing to completely cover the gaping wound. 

Keith was scared to look higher. Scared that if he looked again, he still wouldn’t see Lance’s chest rising and falling with every breath. Scared that if he opened Lance’s eyes he wouldn’t see the usual flirting glint in them he’d come to love. God he was scared. 

_ “Keith? Keith is everything ok?”  _

_ “Keith what happened? You’re not responding to anyone!” _

_ “Keith, where are you?” _

The remaining three paladins sounded worried, but Keith just turned off his helmet coms. 

This time he dared a look up to Lance’s face. His usually smooth, tan skin was bruised and bleeding, a trickle of dark liquid oozing from the corner of his mouth. 

No. No no no no no! 

“LANCE! LANCE!” Keith screamed his name, knowing that it wouldn’t help, but he did it nonetheless. Tears obscured his vision, making everything a purple haze. 

Purple. 

That was fitting. 

Blue and red. 

Lance and Keith. 

Except now Lance was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless self promo to go follow me on twitter, @galactiklance


	2. Message Recieved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is gone, his final words lost, Keith unable to hear what he was trying to say through the static. Apart from those four words, “I love you Keith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the beginning of the CRUSH THEIR SOULS ending, the original ending for this piece, which was then added on to bc I wanted even more sadness. Enjoy and weep!

The last thing Keith remembered was gripping to Lance’s broken body as if it were his life source. 

But when he opened his eyes he was back in the castle of lions. 

Was it real? God, he hoped it was a dream. If it wasn’t, then, then…

“Keith?” Shiro’s head looked around the corner. “I thought I heard you moving about. Look, I, we-”

“Where’s Lance?” Keith demanded. “WHERE IS HE?”

“Keith! Keith, look. None of us were expecting this, none of us knew it could’ve happened.”

“WHERE IS HE? SHIRO WHERE IS LANCE?!” Keith was screaming, trying to stand, but his legs were too weak and he fell to the ground. 

“Keith, I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry, but-”

“No. No. NO! NO! THIS WAS MY FAULT! IT WAS ALL MY FAULT!”

“Keith!” Shiro ran to his side, attempting to put an arm around him. “Keith this wasn’t your fault, it wasn’t anyone’s fault-”

“NO. THIS WAS MY FAULT. I KILLED HIM.” Keith shoved Shiro’s arm from his shoulders, glaring through the tears. “ _ I _ was the one who split the team up,  _ I  _ was the one to send him out there. It was all. My. FAULT!”

“Keith!”

“NO! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!” Keith was standing now, but barely. Lance was gone. He was never coming back. There would never be another stupid competition, another ridiculous pun. No more finger guns, no more oblivious flirting. He’d never see his wonderfully messy brown hair again, or those beautiful blue eyes, and it was all his fault. 

Shiro stood, leaving the room without taking his eyes off Keith. When he was gone, Keith sunk to the floor, letting the tears flow freely. 

 

An hour later, Hunk’s head appeared at the doorway. 

“Keith buddy? I brought you a plate of food goo, you haven’t eaten since- since-” his voice faltered. “Anyway, we’re all in the lounge area, Pidge has something for you when you’re ready to come out.”

He put the plate next to Keith and left. 

Keith wasn’t hungry. He didn’t care if he was. Nothing mattered anymore. He supposed he should go see what Pidge had, but he couldn’t move. 

 

Pidge was the only one left in the lounge area when Keith entered. He was aware how how bad he looked, covered in second-hand blood, gaunt, with his hair sticking up at the back. 

Lance hated his hair. He used to call him mullet. Keith loved that. 

“Hey Keith.” Pidge looked up from her laptop. 

Keith sat down beside her, staring at the object on the table in front of them. It was Lance’s helmet, cracked, broken, the face plate shattered, but it was still his helmet. 

“I managed to retrieve the data from the last messages he sent. The ones to you.” Pidge leaned over and touched a button inside the helmet. 

_ “Hey Keith. I don’t think I’m ok. Yeah, I- I’m not ok.”  _ Lance’s voice was cut short as Pidge pressed another button. 

“None of us have listened further. We thought, we thought you might want to hear them first. Alone.”

Keith was speechless, but not in a good way. He wanted, he  _ needed  _ to hear his voice again, but he couldn’t relive that. 

He couldn’t. 

“No. I can’t. No.” Keith was shaking, his hands on the helmet. Pidge tried to take it from him, but he wouldn’t let go. He couldn’t let go. 

At some point Pidge left, and no-one came in for the rest of the time Keith was there. It might have been seconds, it might have been hours, Keith didn’t know or care. 

He found himself walking down the hallway to his room. No. Not his room. Lance’s room. 

The helmet still clutched in his arms, he entered. 

Everything smelt like Lance. 

His jacket was tossed in a heap on his bed, the wall by the pillow covered in photos. Keith sat down, picking up the jacket with one hand. 

It smelt like Lance. 

He put it on. It was too big for him, of course it was, but he needed it. 

He needed Lance. 

The helmet stared up at him. 

No. He couldn’t relive it. 

But he needed to. 

He needed to know what Lance was trying to say. 

Hesitantly he pressed the button. 

_ “Hey Keith. I don’t think I’m ok. Yeah, I- I’m not ok.”  _

Then Keith’s voice. Asking where he was, what had happened. 

_ “I’m sorry, I don’t know where I am. The Galra, they got in here and one hit me. Red. Red can’t do anything.” _

Keith again, then,  _ “I don’t, I don’t know. I can’t move. It hurts, hurts too much.” _

_ “Pidge? Keith told, he told me to radio you.” _

_ “Lance? God Lance what happened? God. I’m tracking your line now. Just wait” _ Pidge sounded frantic. 

_ “I need, Keith I need to tell you something Keith. I don’t think I can make it out.”  _ Then that heart wrenching cry of pain again. 

_ “Keith, I, well, the truth is, I like you. I really like you. Heck, I might even love you. I need you to know that.” _

No. No this couldn’t be what he was saying. No.

_ “I’m not, I’m not gonna make it Keith. God it hurts so much. Please stay, stay here to listen to me, please.” _

_ “Keith, just listen. Please.  _

_ I’ve had a crush on you since the first day I saw you. You never noticed, never noticed me, why would you? I tried so hard to, to get close to you, but then, then you got kicked out and I thought I’d never, never see you again. But then we found bl- blue, and Voltron, and I was so happy to get to spend time with you.” _

Keith clutched the helmet tighter, bringing his knees up and resting his forehead on the cold plating. 

_ “Wait. Just, just wait and listen. I was so amazed and, and happy that you noticed me. I felt like I had, like I had a chance. But then you never, never seemed to be interested, so I stopped trying, but my heart wouldn’t, wouldn’t listen. I was still falling, but I knew you’d never like me back” _

No. Keith wanted to scream. He liked him back, god he liked him back. And he never told him. 

_ “K- Keith? I know I can’t, can’t make it. There’s so much blood. Lots of blood. Keith, I can’t make it.” _

Keith was sobbing now, his body heaving, tears streaming down the helmet into his lap, cries echoing through the empty room.

_ “ Look, Keith, I, I think I love, I think I love you. I love you Keith.” _

Then silence. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya yeet it’s my self promotion again, I’m @galactiklance on twitter. I scream endlessly on there, go check me out.


	3. Purple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Lance’s last words retrieved, Keith finally knows what he was trying to say. He wished he could tell him the truth, but he’s never going to see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand part two of the CRUSH THEIR SOULS ending! This wasn’t planned but I wanted to write it so here you go. READ AND WEEP.

It was three weeks since Lance died.

Two since the pain Keith felt turned to numbness.

One since the Red lion was fixed and fully functional.

But Keith didn’t care anymore. He stopped caring the moment he saw Lance’s still body in the pilot's chair. Nothing mattered to him now that he was gone.

   

    Keith hadn’t been on a mission since it happened, he’d barely even set foot in the lounge. But it was unavoidable now. The rest of the paladins had been out almost daily, defeating legion after legion of Galra, draining themselves.

    Shiro’d taken the Black lion back, Keith was fine with that. He didn’t want it any more. He didn’t even want Red, not after, not after…

    “I thought I’d find you here Keith, since you weren’t in your room.” Coran was at the doorway, looking a little flustered.

    “Leave me alone.” Keith turned around, hunching over on the bed.

    Coran was right. He wasn’t in his room. He was in Lance’s.

    Keith came here regularly, even though it just made him feel worse most of the time.

Lance used to spend half his time in Keith’s room, despite his protests. He first came only when Allura or Shiro sent him, but then he started coming for advice, and then it turned into something more regular.

He’d lie sideways across Keith’s bed, upside down more often than not, his lanky legs resting against the wall, head inches off the floor. He’d leave his stuff everywhere, and even if he came in with nothing, it would always seem he left something behind.

Keith missed it. He had hated it at the time, but now he missed it. Those were some of his favourite nights on the castle, and they would never happen again.

So he started coming to Lance’s room.

The first time was when he listened to the helmet, to Lance’s final words.

He didn’t leave for the next two days, but when he did, it physically hurt. That room was the last bit of Lance left aboard the ship.

The jacket came with him though. He wore it almost all the time, even though it was far too large for him. No matter how much he wore it, it always smelt like Lance, it felt like Lance.

“Keith? Ah, Altea to Keith?” Coran was still at the door.

“What do you want.” It wasn’t a question. Keith pushed the hood off his face and out of his eyes as he stood.

Lance had told him how people thought he was intimidating before, with his dark hair, strong stance, and pale skin. Well Lance would definitely think he was intimidating now. His eyes were wild, all the joy sucked from them. He was gaunt, but still strong. His hair was longer than ever, and although he stood with sorrow, he towered above everyone else.

But Keith didn’t care.

Lance would never think anything anymore.

“What do you want.” He repeated. The helmet was in his hand. Lance’s helmet. He gripped it tightly, the plating warm beneath his hand.

Still no-one’d listened to the messages. Keith wouldn’t let them, and no-one pressed him further on the matter.

“The paladins need you. There are too many Galra, they can’t keep them away for much longer.” Coran was panicking slightly, trying to get Keith to come.

No. He didn’t want to. He couldn’t return to Red, it wasn’t right.

“Keith they need you, you have to go.”

    Keith pushed past him, silent. He would do it, but this would be the last time. Then they’d need a new red paladin.

 

    He had to take the jacket off to get into his armour. Keith slipped his hands into the pockets one last time, clenching his fists. He didn’t want to do this, it would just bring back too much pain.

    But the others needed him. If he were Lance, he’d be out there in a heartbeat. If he were Lance he wouldn’t’ve been holed up in the castle for so long. If he were Lance he’d be helping everyone no matter what.

    His finger brushed something rough in the left-hand pocket, and he pulled it out. It was a photo, worn and crumpled in the corners, but Keith could still see what it was of.

    It was him.

    He remembered taking the photo, it was one of those nights with Lance.

    He remembered opening the door to Lance’s phone camera shoved in his face, he remembered Lance’s laugh when he saw the photo. He remembered Lance trying (and failing) to take photos without him realising, he remembered finally giving in and having a mini photoshoot with Lance.

    This one was one of the good ones, with Lance perched on Keith’s back, one arm loosely around his neck, head resting on Keith’s shoulder. Keith was smiling, actually smiling, and Lance was grinning ear to ear. He didn’t know Lance’d printed it.

   

Keith took the photo with him, and the helmet. They sat together on the dashboard of the cockpit, reminding Keith of why he was doing this.

For Lance.

“Hey Red, it’s me.” Keith sat in the chair, the chair that last held Lance’s body.

The controls lit up, and Red came to life.

As he left the castle, Keith could see the extent of the battle.

What must’ve been at least ten fleets was surrounding them, and the remains of at least three more littered the battlefields.

Each lion was fighting their own battle, Allura icing as many battleships as she could, Shiro causing mayhem with his jawblade, Pidge causing explosions of roots, and Hunk ramming ship after ship after ship.

But it still wasn’t enough.

The castle’s particle barrier was almost out, and Keith could see the weariness with which the rest of the paladins flew with.

“Shiro, I’m here.” Keith’s voice was heavy, but he had to do this.

For Lance.

 _“Keith!”_ The voices of the other paladins were familiar, and when their faces flickered to life in the screens, Keith could see their relief.

It was all so familiar, but so different. The voices of the paladins rang through the cockpit, mingling with each other, like in the old days.

The difference was the voice that was missing. That voice. Yes it could be annoying, yes it got far to over enthusiastic when anything good happened, yes it teased him relentlessly, but it was Lance.

 _“All paladins to me! We need to form Voltron!”_ Shiro was commanding, sure, confident. A much better leader than Keith. If he’d been in Black when it happened, Lance would still be here.

Keith sped to Shiro’s position, blasting every ship he could on the way. He was going to make it up to the team, to Lance.

 _“We’ve missed you Keith, it’s good to have you back.”_ Shiro smiled fondly from the screen.

“Behind you!” Keith trusted Shiro would duck as he shot a blast of fire right over his head. The group of fighter jets exploded not a tick to late.

 _“Nice shot Keith. Hunk, we need you here!”_ Shiro addressed the yellow paladin.

 _“Sorry! I was busy!”_ Hunk’s image shook as he rammed another ship, before speeding off towards them.

_“Ok paladins, form Voltron!”_

They shot upwards in formation, but nothing happened.

 _“What’s happening? Why aren’t we forming Voltron?”_ Pidge’s voice was bordering on desperation as she spoke the question they all wanted to know the answer to.

 _“I don’t know!”_ Allura and Shiro replied simultaneously.

 _“The red lion is perfectly operational, there’s no- ah!”_ The blue lion fell back as a squadron of fighter jets opened fire.

 _“Disband! Defend the castle!”_ Shiro’s orders came without hesitation, and the remaining four lions split from formation.

 _“So, uh, does anyone know why we weren’t, like forming Voltron before? Because it’s probably just me, but does it seem like we’re a little outnumbered?”_ Hunk was sounding hysterical, and looking it too.

Keith glanced at his dashboard. The broken blue helmet and photo looked back at him.

“Lance.”

 _“What did, what did you say Keith?”_ Hunk’s image shook again, but this time he was the one getting rammed.

“I said Lance.” Keith picked the photo up, looking into those beautiful blue eyes.

“We can’t form Voltron because of Lance.”

 _“Keith that doesn’t make any sense. We’ve got all the lions, it should work like normal.”_ Pidge was confused, and although he wasn’t saying anything, Shiro looked it as well.

“The lions aren’t all of it. Allura, you said that in order to form Voltron, all the paladins need to have a strong bond with their lion.” Keith set the photo down again, and looked into the monitor with Allura in it.

_“Correct, but I don’t see where you’re going with this Keith. We all have bonds with our lions.”_

“But you also said we had to work as a team, we have to become one. Not five individual lions, but Voltron. Not five individual paladins, but Voltron.” Keith was sure this was the answer.

“We can work as a team, but we need to be more than that. Lance was the key, he was our backbone. He was always there for everyone, whether we wanted it or not. He was determined, he cared. He gave his life for us. Without him, we can function, but we don’t work like we’re supposed to. Without Lance we can’t be Voltron.”

Everyone was silent as Keith finished. He let the silence continue as long as necessary.

 _“Keith’s right.”_ It was Shiro who spoke first. _“Lance started this whole thing, we wouldn’t be here without him.”_

The other paladins agreed, and Keith smiled sadly.

_“If we can’t form Voltron, we need a plan. Pidge, you focus on the cruisers, take out their cannons. Allura you cover for her._

_Hunk, keep the jets away from the castle, Coran will help. Keith, you come with me. We’ll clean up after Pidge and Allura.”_

The paladins split off, following Shiro’s orders without a second thought. Lance would’ve complained, Keith thought.

Shiro formed his jawblade, slicing the length of a cruiser as they passed. Just as keith was about to do the same, a blast rocked his lion.

The helmet clattered to the ground, and he scrambled to pick it up.

 _“Keith! Cover me!”_ Shiro sent a blast in his direction, obliterating a jet headed his way.

“On it!” Keith placed the helmet back next to the photo and opened fire as he turned around.

_“Shiro! Pidge and I are taking heavy fire! There are too many cruisers and we can’t disable the cannons fast enough!”_

_“Paladins! The castle’s particle barrier won’t hold much longer! We’ve got perhaps two more doboshes!”_

_“Everyone stay calm! We can do this!”_

Keith surveyed the scene. They were outnumbered more than they had ever been. They couldn’t do this.

But as Keith watched, he came up with a plan. He knew no-one would agree to it, but it was their only hope.

“Everyone! Get back to the castle! I have a plan but you need to get back and protect the castle!” Keith ignored the protests of the other paladins, urging them to abandon Shiro’s plan.

 _“Keith! What’s your plan?”_ Shiro sounded hesitant, but he and the other paladins were already halfway back to the castle.

“That doesn’t matter! Get as far back from the cruisers as you can!” Keith flew into position, waiting for the others to obey.

He was scared, but who wouldn’t be? In the moment of calm before the storm, he reached out to brush the photo.

“For you, Lance.”

_“Keith! What are you doing?”_

_“Keith what is your plan?”_

_“Keith answ-”_ He turned his coms off.

He took his last look at the helmet, his last look at the photo. A tear tracked down his cheek.

Then everything happened at once.

Keith moved red at full speed, faster than what was safe, but that didn’t matter.

The first cruiser was looming closer and closer, but he didn’t stop. He sped up.

Keith shot a ball of white-hot fire with full force the second before impact.

He closed his eyes.

  


“Keith?”

 

“Lance?”

 

Keith was floating in the cockpit, as was everything else.

 

“Keith!”

 

The photo floated over to him. He grabbed it.

 

“Lance!”

 

He was dimly aware of the exploding cruisers outside.

 

“Keith you’re here!”

 

Dimly aware that Red was broken beyond repair.

 

“Lance are you real?”

 

He was falling, no he was rising.

 

“Keith I’m real.”

 

And he was gone.

 

“I missed you Lance.”

 

“Did you get my messages?”

 

“Was that, was that real?”

 

“Yes you idiot! I meant every word.”

 

“I never got to tell you.”

 

“Tell me what?”

 

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post like there’s a thousand people hanging onto your every word, even if there’s literally none.
> 
> So that’s why I’m back dropping hints to follow my twitter! (@galactiklance heheheh)


	4. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance was dead. Keith saw the damage. But waking up in the Castle of Lions brings an unexpected surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is my non-soul-crushing ending! I’ve never written fluff before, so plz forgive me if it’s bad. All the events of the CRUSH THEIR SOULS endings never happened.

The last thing Keith remembered was gripping to Lance’s broken body as if it were his life source. 

But when he opened his eyes he was back in the castle of lions. 

Was it real? God, he hoped it was a dream. If it wasn’t, then, then…

Keith surveyed his surroundings. He was in a pod, no-one else was in the room. If he was in a pod…

No. There was only one explanation. No no no.

He slammed his fists on the interior over and over again, stumbling out when it opened. He was weak, but that didn’t matter. He had to move. 

Keith rushed from pod to pod. No. No. They were all empty. No. 

He closed his eyes, trying to escape reality, but images just flashed past. 

The red lion, almost broken, his own hands, slick with blood, and Lance. 

The gaping wound in his side, his shattered helmet, his unearthly stillness. 

Keith fell to his knees, pressing his hands over his ears. All he could hear was static. 

He was simply aware of screaming. What he was saying, he didn’t know, he didn’t care. 

Keith felt his chest constricting, his shallow breaths increasing in speed. 

No. No that wasn’t his doing. A pair of arms looped around him, holding him tight. His back was pressed against something warm and solid. Something that smelt like, smelt like Lance. 

He screamed again. No. No, he was hallucinating. No, this wasn’t real. 

A head rested on his shoulder, fitting perfectly. Hair tickled his ear. 

“It’s ok Keith, I’m here, calm down.”

God it even sounded like Lance. 

“No! NO! LANCE! You’re not real! You’re, you’re not… real.” Keith tried to struggle away, but those arms only gripped him tighter, pulling him back into the embrace. 

“Keith! Keith I’m here! Of course I’m real!”

Keith was hyperventilating now, his hands had come off his ears, the deafening static sound dulling to a buzz. 

He opened his eyes. Looked down. 

No. Those arms, those hands. They were Lance’s. What was happening. 

“Keith, it’s ok, you’re ok, I’ve got you.”

Lance’s voice was soothing, his head nestled in that perfect little spot between Keith’s neck and shoulder. 

His breathing slowed, the static was almost silent. 

“Just breathe, Keith, it’s ok.”

Keith closed his eyes again, waiting for the onslaught of images, for the static. 

But they didn’t come. 

The only thing he heard was Lance’s voice, Lance’s breathing. 

He was alive. 

“Yes, I’m alive Keith. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Oops. Maybe he said that aloud. 

Lance loosened his grip, shuffling around until he was beside Keith, their faces barely apart. 

Keith looked up. Those eyes. He thought he’d never see them again. 

“Lance…”

“I’m here Keith.”

“Lance…” he repeated, reaching a hand out to touch his face. How could he be real? Keith’d seen the damage, the blood. There was no way Lance could’ve survived. 

“Keith, what happened? What’s the matter?” Lance placed his hand on top of Keith’s, a worried look in his eyes. 

“Lance, I- you- the Galra, they, they,” Tears started to roll down his cheeks, and he let them. 

“Keith what are you talking about? What about the Galra?” Lance removed his and Keith’s hands from his face, placing them in his lap. 

“Lance, don’t, don’t you remember? We were fighting, the asteroid field near Irkwan. I, I spit the team up, and then, and then-”

The tears were coming fast. Lance reached up a hand to brush them away, and Keith didn’t protest. 

“Then the fight was done, but we couldn’t find you, and then you called me on the helmet coms, and you, you were, you were dying.”

“Keith, I-”

“Let me finish. Please. 

Pidge managed to track you, but I was too late. You were trying to talk to me the whole time, but the static, the static was too much, and I didn’t know what you were saying. When I got to Red it was too late. Some Galra had infiltrated you, and, and one of the generals, he, they, you were dead Lance. You were dead.”

Lance was silent. His eyes were glistening with tears as well, tears that slipped slowly down his face as he closed his eyes and placed his forehead on Keith’s. 

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“I heard your, your last words. You’d been trying to tell me something the entire time, but I didn’t know what. But then, then you said, you said..”

Keith looked into Lance’s eyes. 

“You said you loved me.”

They held the silence, eyes locked, until Keith pulled away. He sat hunched, avoiding Lance’s gaze. 

“But it was just a dream. You’re still here. I was just dreaming. You never said that. So, so things can go back to how they were, and, and there’s no point in me, in me saying that maybe, maybe I do too.”

“Keith,” Lance scooted closer again, taking both Keith’s hands in his. “Keith just, just because that was dream, doesn’t mean that, that I don’t, that I don’t like you.”

“You what?” Keith whipped his head up again, and this time it was Lance who looked away. His face was burning. 

“What did you say?”

Lance looked at him tentatively, those beautiful blue eyes peeking from beneath his lashes. 

“Keith, I, I never told you. I wasn’t ever going to. I don’t deserve you, you never seemed to, to notice me as more than, more than a friend. But, but I’ve always liked you. And, and-”

He was cut short by Keith planting a sudden kiss to his lips. 

It wasn’t graceful, and was over as soon as it started. 

“I, I’m sorry. I just, you were dead, but then you weren’t, and I’m, I’m sorry.” Keith was stammering, flustered. 

This time it was Lance who lent in. 

This time it was slower, this time it lasted more than a moment. 

“Keith, I like you. Don’t be sorry for that.”

“I, I like you too Lance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I’m done! That took forever, especially since I’m on my phone. I hope you liked this, and feedback is welcome any time, I’m still learning. 
> 
> Also go follow me on twitter, or just spam me with comments, whatever works for you.


End file.
